Haruchika Aoki races down the aisle

Haruchika Aoki races down the aisle

The holiday period at the end of the season is a rare opportunity for the riders to dedicate time to their personal lives, and former 125cc World Champion Haruchika Aoki had a particularly important date to keep this week. `Haru´ married his girlfriend Miyoko in a ceremony in Yokohama, Japan. The couple met when the 26 year old competed in the Suzuka 8 hours back in 1996 and have been inseparable ever since.

The youngest of the famous Aoki brothers made his World Championship debut at Eastern Creek (Australia) in 1993 in the 125cc category. In 1995, still aged only 19, he won seven of the thirteen races on the calendar to become the youngest ever Japanese World Champion, as well as the first Honda rider to clinch the 125 title. He successfully defended his crown in the following season.

This year Haruchika contested the 250cc World Championship with the DeGraaf Grand Prix Team run by Arie Molenaar, finishing the season in fourteenth place overall.